When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Fountain 35 Executioner 2009 and the Fountain 38 Lightning 2010 are modified vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Fountain 35 Executioner 2009 at 35,0 ft versus Fountain 38 Lightning 2010 at 38,0 ft. At 85 lbs and 98 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 2 hp for the Fountain 35 Executioner 2009 and 2 hp for the Fountain 38 Lightning 2010. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 16 gal and 18 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Fountain 38 Lightning 2010 is rated for 11 passengers, while the Fountain 35 Executioner 2009 caps at 10. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Fountain 38 Lightning 2010 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Fountain 38 Lightning 2010 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 11 passengers and at 38,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Fountain 35 Executioner 2009 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 10 that costs less to run day-to-day.